Process of recovering titanic-oxide from titanium-nitrogen compounds



Patented June 2, .1925

UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcs.)

PEDEB FABUP, or vEsTnE AKER, NORWAY, AssIeNoR 'ro rrran co. A/S., or

4 rnanmss'ran, nonwny.

PROCESS or nncovnnme rrranrc. oxnm raom TITANIUM-NITROGEN, comrounns.

No Drawing.

{ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PEDER FARU'P, a subject of the King of Norway, and a resident of Vettakollen, Vestre Aker, Kingdom of Norway, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Recovering Titanic Oxide From Titanium-Nitrogen Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to recovering titanic oxide from titanium-nitrogencompounds, and the object of the invention is a process whereby in a simple and practical manner the nitrogen contents as well as the titanium contents of these compounds may be utilized.

If titanium-nitrogen compounds are treated with. concentrated sulphuric acid, it is possible to transform the nitrogen to ammonium sul hate and the titanium to titanium sulp ate such for instance as described in my prior Norwegian Patent No. 29,839. I have, however, found that a considerably more advantageous process is attained if I employ a pressure higher than a the atmospheric pressure, as then corre spondingly higher temperatures may be employed and comparatively dilute sulphuric acid may be used.

Further the titanium sulphate whichmay be formed during the r'eactionwill immediately decompose with practically complete precipitation of titanic acid." The sulphuric acid 1s again liberated and agaln takes part in the reaction. Thus only a negligible amount of sulphuric acid is required over that necessary to combine with the nitrogen present and with possible impurities. As a result of the process a solution is obtained containingprincipally ammonium sulphate and impurities, such as for instance iron, and a precipitate principallyconsisting of titanic acid.

be varied within wide limits.

The details of my process may of course Thus I may employ different acid concentrations, temperature and pressure varying accordingly.

As a practical example of carrying out my process the following is given:

I take 1 part b weight of titanium nitride consisting 0 about 54% Ti, 10% N and 5% Fe and impurities, prepared by reduction of ilmenite in an electric furnace in the presence of nitrogen and then freed-of Application filed December 20, 1922. Serial No. 608,094.

the principal part of the iron of the ilmenite and to some extent of silicates by treatment with dilute acid. This is mixed with 1,33

parts by weight of 50%sulphuric acid. I fill the mixture into an autoclave lined with acid proof material and heat for 3 hours at a pressure of 25 atmospheres.

I then remove the contents of the autoclave and separate the precipitate from the liquid by filtration and washing with water.- The precipitate contains practically all the titanium of the nitride and consists of 85% T10 2% N 0,5% Fe and 5% H SO The solution contains the rest of the ni; trogen from thenitride in the form of ammonium sulphate and further impurities as sulphates of iron, silicates and some free sulphuric acid.

While the solution obtained 'may advantageously be treated for the recovery of ammonium sulphate, the) resulting residue rich in titanium will be well suited for the manudilute sulphuric acid, and for the first au-,

toclave treatment the thus obtained solution containing iron and ammonium sulphate.

What I claim as new and desire to secure I by Letters Patent of the United States is:

The recess of recovering titanic oxide from titanium nitrogen compounds which comprises mixin' the compound with a quantity of sulp uric acid not materially exceeding that required to combine with the constituents of the compound other than titanium and heating the mixture in excess of atmospheric pressure whereby the titanium content of the material is obtained as an insoluble precipitate while its impurities as wellas its iron and nitrogen contents are obtained as water soluble sulphates.

Signed at Kristiania, Norway, this 2nd day of December 1922.

PEDER FARUP. 

